There is one Masik Karthigai in October 2025. The dates and timings below are computed for New Delhi.
October 2025 has one Masik Karthigai: Masik Karthigai (Kartika) on Friday, 10 October (Krishna paksha).
| Date | Day | Name | Paksha / Month | Tithi Begins | Tithi Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2025 | Fri | Masik Karthigai (Kartika) | Krishna · Ashwina | 9 Oct, 10:55 PM | 10 Oct, 7:39 PM |
All dates & times computed for New Delhi (IST) with the Swiss Ephemeris + Lahiri ayanamsa — not copied.
Masik Karthigai follows the Moon's monthly return to Krittika, the Pleiades. Rows of oil lamps at the doorstep at dusk are its signature — light offered to Murugan and to Shiva as the column of flame. The observance is nakshatra-based rather than tithi-based, which is why its dates move differently from the tithi vrats.
The year's principal Karthigai falls in the Tamil month of Karthigai, when Krittika meets the full moon. At Tiruvannamalai the Maha Deepam is lit atop Arunachala hill, commemorating Shiva's appearance as an endless pillar of light — one of the oldest festivals in Tamil literature.
There are 14 Masik Karthigai days in 2025 for the Delhi region — one each time the Moon transits Krittika nakshatra.
Krittika is Murugan's birth star — the six Krittika maidens nursed the six-faced Kartikeya — so the day the Moon joins it is kept sacred to him.
The annual Karthigai in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November–December), when the Krittika nakshatra coincides with the full moon, is Karthigai Deepam — rows of oil lamps at every home and the great beacon on Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai.
Devotees light oil lamps at dusk, visit Murugan temples and keep a simple fast. It is primarily a Tamil observance kept across South India.
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